World’s first Trial Of Lab-Grown Red Blood Cells Underway In UK

Blood transfusions are an important way to replace lost blood.

The first clinical trial of laboratory-grown red blood cells is currently underway in the United Kingdom, according to Science Alert, with the goal of determining whether red blood cells made in the laboratory last longer than blood cells made in the body.

The Recovery and Survival of Stem Cell-Originated Red Cells (Restore) Trial is the name of the study. It is a collaboration between NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) and the University of Bristol, as well as several researchers from the University of Cambridge.

“This challenging and exciting trial is a huge stepping stone for manufacturing blood from stem cells. This is the first-time lab grown blood from an allogeneic donor has been transfused, and we are excited to see how well the cells perform at the end of the clinical trial,” said Professor Ashley Toye, Professor of Cell Biology at the University of Bristol and Director of the NIHR Blood and Transplant Unit in red cell products.

According to a release by the University of Cambridge, “The trial is studying the lifespan of the lab-grown cells compared with infusions of standard red blood cells from the same donor. “The lab-grown blood cells are all fresh, so the trial team expects them to perform better than a similar transfusion of standard donated red blood cells, which contains cells of varying ages.”

“Additionally, if manufactured cells last longer in the body, patients who regularly need blood may not need transfusions as often. That would reduce iron overload from frequent blood transfusions, which can lead to serious complications.”